Experts warn: These 5 holiday toys could land your child in the ER—here’s how to keep them safe

Pediatric ER doctor Meghan Martin is using her TikTok platform to sound the alarm about unsafe holiday toys. Drawing from firsthand experiences in the emergency room, she’s revealing the top five gifts that could land kids in the hospital—and why they’re better left on the shelf this Christmas.

The urgency of her message is backed by alarming statistics. In 2022 alone, U.S. emergency rooms treated 209,500 toy-related injuries, with boys accounting for 54% of the cases, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. These numbers highlight the pressing need for stricter safety standards and vigilant supervision during playtime.

In addition to being a pediatric ER doctor, Martin is a mom of four and a TikTok sensation with 1.3 million followers. Her relatable parenting advice and expert medical insights are going viral, making her a trusted voice for parents navigating the holiday toy safety.

Here’s Dr. Martin’s list for dangerous toys to avoid this holiday season:

1. Trampolines

“I detest trampolines,” Martin says. “They literally keep the emergency department and the orthopedics team in business,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if you have a net. It doesn’t matter if its buried in the ground. Most of the injuries actually happen on the trampoline,” she warns.

Martin adds that your insurance company may drop you, too, so there’s that. “Homeowners insurance also hates trampolines,” she says.

2. Hoverboards

“We see so many hoverboard injuries right after Christmas,” Martin says. “They break their forearms and their elbows and sometimes their heads.”

“And also they can literally light your house on fire,” she warns.

Related: How a pediatric ER doc stocks her medicine cabinet for cold + flu season

3. Electric scooters

Electric scooters are number three on her countdown. “Kids can get going way too fast on these,” she says. “They hit a bump, they go flying, they mess up their faces, their arms, their heads—it’s bad news bears,” she says.

4. Water beads

Next on her countdown at number four are water beads. “These are sold as sensory toys but kids can ingest them when they’re small and they can get larger and cause bowel obstructions,” Martin warns. She adds that they can cause problems with pets, too.

Related: Lawmakers are calling for a nationwide ban on water beads

5. Button batteries

Number five on the list was anything with a button battery. “They keep those little compartments closed with these little cheap screws … it’s not worth it. They can literally kill kids and they do every year,” she said. They’re a choking hazard in addition to having the potential to completely burn a hole in your child’s esophagus or stomach, according to Poison Control.

What parents can do

Here’s how parents can help keep their kids safe this holiday season:

• Skip trampolines entirely or enforce strict safety measures if you already own one.

• Supervise kids on scooters and hoverboards, and ensure they wear helmets and pads.

• Avoid toys with button batteries, or double-check that compartments are secure and tamper-proof.

• Be cautious with water beads, especially in households with younger kids or pets.

• Research toy safety ratings and choose gifts that meet strict safety standards.

By making informed choices, parents can ensure a safer holiday season filled with joy—not trips to the ER.

The bottom line

This holiday season, the greatest gift you can give is peace of mind. By choosing safer toys and staying vigilant, you can ensure a joyful, injury-free Christmas filled with love and laughter—not ER visits.

As Dr. Martin concludes, “I hope you have a wonderful holiday—and don’t need to pay me a visit.”

Let’s make this season about joy, laughter, and memories—not emergency room visits.

Sources:

1. Holiday toy safety. Consumer Product Safety Commission. 2024. “Toy-Related Deaths and Injuries Calendar Year 2023.” 

2. Harm that button batteries can do. Poison Control. “Button Batteries Can Kill Children.”